Mr. Cheung Ka Lok (1st left) , Ms. Wong Ka Man (2nd left) and Ms. Lai Pui Wing (1st right) interviewed an incense sommelier to gain deeper knowledge of incense culture in Hong Kong.
Incense-making was once one of Hong Kong’s important economic activities, and nowadays has become an ordinary religious or folk item — such as traditional coil incense or bamboo-stick incense — used only in specific beliefs or customs. Despite this, Mr. Cheung Ka Lok from Psychology, Ms. Chan Chi Yuk from Social Work, Ms. Wong Ka Man from Chinese Language and Literature, and Ms. Lai Pui Wing from Integrated BBA still hope to explore the possibilities of revitalising the incense industry and the art of incense through their General Education research.
Q: Why are you interested in the development of Hong Kong’s incense industry and incense culture?
A: The name of “Hong Kong” is closely tied to the incense-making industry. For example, what is now known as Aberdeen (pronounced as “Hong Kong Zai” in Cantonese) was originally called Shek Pai Wan. The name “Hong Kong”, which means “Fragrant Harbour”, originated from the export of Chinese agarwood in the Song and Ming dynasties. In fact, Hong Kong and its surrounding regions have been rich in fragrant wood since the Song dynasty and were already a major centre of incense production. After the Second World War, some incense experts from Guangdong relocated to Hong Kong, turning the incense-making into one of Hong Kong’s important light industries.
As traditions have changed, the custom of burning incense has gradually declined, and its functions and cultural significance are forgotten by people. Therefore, through research and interviews with incense shops, factories, incense brands, and people who use incense, we not only explore incense culture but also hope to contribute to its preservation, so that it will not be swept away by the times.
The group participated in an incense crafting workshop to learn more about incense.
Q: Can you briefly introduce the incense craftsmanship in Hong Kong?
A: Our research focused on combustible incense products, which we divide into traditional and novel types. Traditional natural incense consists of three basic ingredients: incense powder, Makko powder (incense binding powder), and water. The incense powder refers to finely ground natural aromatic materials such as agarwood, aloeswood, and sandalwood, the formula for which has been passed down through the ages. Novel products incorporate Western fragrances and plant essential oils, no longer restricted to traditional materials.
The core craftsmanship of natural incense involves three methods. The first is hand-rolling, in which incense powder is mixed with natural binding powder and water to form a balsam-like substance, and then it is repeatedly rolled by hand onto a bamboo stick (the incense core) using a wooden board. The advantage is a dense, solid structure where the powder does not easily flake off.
The second method is dipping, in which the bamboo core is moistened with water and repeatedly dipped into incense powder until the desired thickness is achieved. This method allows mass production, but powder tends to scatter during the process, so it is more suitable for making affordable incense. The third method is extruding, which is like hand-rolling but includes shaping the incense, for example into jade incense or pagoda incense. The final step in all three methods is sun-drying the incense.
Q: What changes have you discovered in Hong Kong’s incense consumption culture?
A: Incense has been regarded as a traditional religious and ritual item, and worshipping gods and burning incense are inseparably linked. Not only do Buddhist and Taoist temples use incense, but people also burn it to honour ancestors enshrined in the cabinet at home. As a folk ritual, lighting incense constitutes an invitation for deities and ancestors to partake in offerings, and even the specifications of incense vary according to the recipient. This has led many people, especially the older generation, to see incense solely as a ritual item, limiting their perception and use of incense products.
As times have changed, younger people have discovered the uses of incense beyond ritual practice, such as the calming and sleep-inducing effects of burning incense, its role in mindfulness practice, and now it is being treated as a “wellness product”. One of our interviewees even became an incense craftsman after discovering that burning incense helped relieve anxiety symptoms in both her and her cat. Some incense shops deliberately distance their products from religion, positioning incense as an elegant cultural artefact, or even break conventional boundaries by offering incense with drink flavours or pairing it with therapeutic music.
The team reported their research at the class. The first left was Ms. Chan Chi Yuk.
Q: What are your suggestions for preserving and developing Hong Kong’s incense culture?
A: The inheritance of traditional incense-making techniques faces a succession crisis, leading incense shops to struggle with intergenerational succession. Moreover, the shift toward mechanisation replacing manual production has become the dominant trend. All these factors have hindered the development of incense culture. Therefore, our suggestion is to start with users and enhance the cultural and commercial value of incense, thereby increasing the returns from incense making to attract talent to learn the craftsmanship.
Our proposals fall broadly into two categories. The first is education: in addition to disseminating basic knowledge about incense through the internet and promotional activities, schools can introduce traditional Chinese incense culture into their teachings, emphasising the uses of incense beyond religious rituals, such as literati leisure, appreciation, and medicinal purposes. Schools can also organise extracurricular activities focused on incense appreciation to raise young people’s awareness through hands-on experience.
The second is promotion, with targeted strategies for younger and older generations. For the young, who love sharing experiences on social media, we propose opening incense cafes. These incense-themed cafes can serve as relaxing spaces and new venues for promoting and selling incense products. For seniors, who are accustomed to burning incense for traditional purposes, we hope to start with temple incense and similar channels to increase their knowledge of incense, encouraging the use of higher-quality incense, and ultimately stimulating succession to the next generation.
